Just Stop Oil given stall to recruit new members at woke Oxford University's freshers’ fair

Oxford/Just Stop Oil

The anti-oil group spoke to students and held talks at the two-day event

Getty/PA
Holly Bishop

By Holly Bishop


Published: 06/10/2023

- 07:42

Updated: 06/10/2023

- 07:57

The protest group are aiming to recruit 500 students

Oxford University Student Union invited Just Stop Oil to host a stall at their freshers’ fair, allowing the protest group to attempt to recruit new young members.

The anti-oil group had a table at the world-class university’s two-day event, speaking to students as well as hosting a number of talks.


Daniel Knorr, 21, who ran onto the pitch during an Ashes match at Lord’s this summer, was photographed speaking to potential new recruits at the event.

He also distributed 17,000 Just Stop Oil pamphlets into students’ cubby holes, the Daily Mail reports.

WATCH NOW: Leaked emails reveal Just Stop Oil's plan to recruit 500 students

The group are also a hosting several talks across the university, including a discussion led by Roger Hallam, a co-founder of Extinction Rebellion and also a Just Stop Oil leader.

Leaked emails have revealed that Just Stop Oil are targeting different universities across the country in order to recruit enough new members to “overwhelm” police at upcoming street protests.

The group is planning a slow-march in October, where it is looking for 3,000 to be arrested during the demonstration.

Of those 3,000 they want 500 to be students, as part of a strategy of “student mobilisation”.

JUST STOP OIL LATEST:

Knorr told the Daily Mail: “We are asking fellow students to take part in nonviolent civil resistance. Young people will live to experience the worst effects of climate breakdown.

“I hope Oxford University continues to enable freedom of thought and assembly to its students.”

Their efforts to bolster their numbers comes after Education Secretary Gillian Keegan warned last month that students could jeopardise their future by participating in protests.

She sent a letter to university vice-chancellors, telling them that they must be ready for “any heightened risk of unlawful activity taking place” on campuses.

Oxford University Student Union’s freshers' fairs allows student societies to run stalls at the event for a small fee, and booths require approval from the student union before being allowed to run.

Counter-demonstrators arrived while Just Stop Oil activists were planning to march through London

The group are planning a slow-march this month

Just Stop Oil/Twitter

A spokesman for the union said: “The last two days have seen over 10,000 students attend the Oxford SU freshers’ fair.

“Oxford SU is a proud supporter of free speech and as such would never deny any student society the opportunity to have a stall at our freshers’ fair on a first come first serve basis.”

On Wednesday, Just Stop Oil protesters interrupted a production of Les Miserables as audience members heckled the quartet for disrupting the performance.

Four activists locked themselves to the stage of the show, at the Sondheim Theatre.

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